Method of automatically detecting the baud rate of an input signal and an apparatus using the method

1. A method of automatically determining a baud rate of an input signal, the input signal having a first transition from a first to a second state and a second transition from the second to the first state, the method comprising the steps of: (a) detecting the first transition and generating a first transition signal; (b) starting a first counter when the first transition signal is detected; (c) detecting the second transition and generating a second transition signal; (d) stopping the first counter when the second transition signal is detected, the counter having a measured count representing an interval between the first and second transitions; (e) providing at least one expected count, each expected count having a respective predetermined threshold value and corresponding to a possible baud rate of the input signal; (f) comparing the measured count to each expected count to provide a respective difference value; (g) providing as a desired count the expected count having the least difference value when the least difference value is less than the respective predetermined threshold value of the expected count; (h) counting down based on the desired count in a second counter; and (i) generating a sampling signal when the second counter has counted down to zero, the sampling signal indicating when the input signal is to be sampled.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein step (h) further comprises counting down based on the desired count when each respective difference value is less than the predetermined threshold value of the respective expected count.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein each respective predetermined threshold value is a percentage of its respective expected count.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein step (h) further comprises counting down based on the measured count when each difference value is greater than the predetermined threshold value of the respective expected count.

5. A method according to claim 4 wherein step (g) further comprises providing the desired count using an alternate method when each respective difference value is greater than the predetermined threshold value of the respective expected count; and step (h) further comprises 1) counting down based on the measured count until the alternate method has provided the desired count and 2) counting down based on the desired count after the alternate method has provided the desired count.

6. A method according to claim 1 wherein the input signal comprises a plurality of bits, each bit having a bit time, wherein the sampling signal is generated in step (i) in the middle of a bit time.

7. A method according to claim 1 wherein the input signal includes a start bit having a first edge and a second edge wherein the first transition represents the first edge of the start bit; and the second transition represents the second edge of the start bit.

8. An apparatus for automatically determining a baud rate of an input signal, the input signal having a first transition from a first to a second state and a second transition from the second to the first state, the apparatus comprising: an edge detector which detects the first transition and the second transition of the input signal, the edge detector generating a first transition signal when a first transition is detected and generating a second transition signal when a second transition is detected; a first counter; a control module which starts the first counter when a first transition signal is received from the edge detector and which stops the first counter when a second transition signal is received from the edge detector, the first counter providing a measured count when the first counter is stopped representing an interval between the first and second transitions; a count table, the count table storing at least one expected count, each expected count corresponding to a possible baud rate of the input signal; a matching module which compares the measured count with each expected count to provide a respective difference value, the matching module defining as a desired count one expected count having the least difference value; a second counter for receiving the desired count and counting down from the desired count; and a sampling controller for generating a sampling signal when the second counter has counted down to zero, the sampling signal indicating when the input signal should be sampled.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8 wherein a reload register receives the desired count from the matching module and provides the desired count to the second counter.

10. The apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the first counter and the second counter are the same counter operating in different modes.

11. The apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the input signal comprises a plurality of bits, each bit has a bit time, and the sampling controller generates the sampling signal in the middle of a bit time.

12. The apparatus according to claim 8 further comprising a shift register coupled to the sampling controller for receiving the sampling signal from the sampling controller, sampling the input signal responsive to the sampling signal, and shifting successive samples of the input signal until a byte of samples has been sampled thereby to organize the input signal into bytes.

13. An integrated circuit comprising an apparatus for automatically determining a baud rate of an input signal, the input signal having a first transition from a first to a second state and a second transition from the second to the first state, the apparatus comprising: an edge detector which detects the first transition and the second transition of the input signal, the edge detector generating a first transition signal when a first transition is detected and generating a second transition signal when a second transition is detected; a first counter; a control module which starts the first counter when a first transition signal is received from the edge detector and which stops the first counter when a second transition signal is received from the edge detector, the first counter providing a measured count when the first counter is stopped representing an interval between the first and second transitions; a count table, the count table storing at least one expected count, each expected count corresponding to a possible baud rate of the input signal; a matching module which compares the measured count with each expected count to provide a respective difference value, the matching module defining as a desired count one expected count having the least difference value; a second counter for receiving the desired count and counting down from the desired count; and a sampling controller for generating a sampling signal when the second counter has counted down to zero, the sampling signal indicating when the input signal should be sampled.

14. A modem comprising: an edge detector which detects a first transition and a second transition of an input signal, the edge detector generating a first transition signal when a first transition is detected and generating a second transition signal when a second transition is detected; a first counter; a control module which starts the first counter when the first transition signal is received from the edge detector and which stops the first counter when the second transition signal is received from the edge detector, the first counter providing a measured count when the first counter is stopped representing an interval between the first and second transitions; a count table, the count table storing at least one expected count, each expected count corresponding to a possible baud rate of the input signal; a matching module which compares the measured count with each expected count to provide a respective difference value, the matching module defining as a desired count one expected count having the least difference value; a second counter for receiving the desired count and counting down from the desired count; and a sampling controller for generating a sampling signal when the second counter has counted down to zero, the sampling signal indicating when the input signal should be sampled.

15. A communication system including an apparatus for automatically determining a baud rate of an input signal, the input signal having a first transition from a first to a second state and a second transition from the second to the first state, the apparatus comprising: an edge detector which detects the first transition and the second transition of the input signal, the edge detector generating a first transition signal when a first transition is detected and generating a second transition signal when a second transition is detected; a first counter; a control module which starts the first counter when a first transition signal is received from the edge detector and which stops the first counter when a second transition signal is received from the edge detector, the first counter providing a measured count when the first counter is stopped representing an interval between the first and second transitions; a count table, the count table storing at least one expected count, each expected count corresponding to a possible baud rate of the input signal; a matching module which compares the measured count with each expected count to provide a respective difference value, the matching module defining as a desired count one expected count having the least difference value; a second counter for receiving the desired count and counting down from the desired count; and a sampling controller for generating a sampling signal when the second counter has counted down to zero, the sampling signal indicating when the input signal should be sampled.